What do General Colin Powell, Pulitzer-Prize-winning columnist George Will and former president of South Africa F. W. de Klerk, all have in common? All three nationally-known personalities will be among the featured lecturers during the 1999-2000 St. Louis Speakers Series. The Series, featuring seven guest lecturers, will be held at Powell Symphony Hall. Maryville is the series’ presenting sponsor. “Maryville is extremely proud to affiliate itself with such a culturally significant event as the St. Louis Speakers Series,” says Keith Lovin, Maryville president. “The Speakers Series has become known for featuring men and women who have taken lead roles on the world stage. It provides the opportunity for meaningful dialogue on the critical issues of our time, something that occurs in the classrooms of Maryville University on a daily basis.”
The Series takes place on Thursdays, kicking off Oct. 7, with an appearance by Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post columnist George Will. Will, who also serves as a contributing editor to Newsweek and as an ABC TV news analyst, has written several books including his most recent, The Woven Figure: Conservatism and America’s Fabric.
General Powell will be in St. Louis on Nov. 18. An authentic hero and one of the most respected men in America, General Powell is a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and served as assistant for national security affairs to President Ronald Reagan. General Powell’s appearance also is being sponsored by Earthgrains.
The first speaker in the new millennium will be Cokie Roberts, appearing on Feb. 10, 2000. Roberts serves as special correspondent for ABC News and National Public Radio. She appears weekly on ABC News’ This Week and NPR’s All Things Considered. Her appearance also is being sponsored by Bank of America.
Maryville envisions the Speakers Series as another in a number of partnerships it has fashioned with the St. Louis region through the years, Dr. Lovin says.
“In 1981, we pioneered the Weekend College program in the St. Louis area, providing working adults with alternative educational formats,” he says. “In the past two decades, as Maryville has expanded from a college to a university, we have established strong linkages with business and industry in the St. Louis area.”
As the leader of an educational institution, Dr. Lovin is gratified that area high school students will have the opportunity to attend the lectures through the St. Louis Speakers Series Distinguished Students Program. The program was created in 1998 by Bill Conrow, president of the Speakers Series.
“We believe it is personal experiences that inspire students to achieve their dreams and focus on real and idealistic goals,” Conrow says. About 50 area high schools are participating in the program this year.
The remainder of the 1999-2000 St. Louis Speakers Series schedule is:
- Oct. 28 - National Poet Laureate Maya Angelou, an acclaimed poet, writer, professor, playwright and historian. She has been hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature.
- March 9 - Former president of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize winner F. W. de Klerk. As president of South Africa, he ended apartheid and led his country’s peaceful transition to black majority rule. He and Nelson Mandela both received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for their roles in that transition.
- April 6 - Author David McCullough, historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer for Truman. To millions of viewers, he is known as the host of The American Experience and narrator of numerous documentaries on public television.
- April 27 - Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. A resolute defender of the environment, he has been described as committed to making a difference in the quality of life for present and future Americans.
“The St. Louis region is fortunate to have the strong committments of Maryville University and Bill Conrow to underwrite this outstanding program,” notes Dick Fleming, president & CEO of the RCGA. “We are once again pleased to be a presenting sponsor of this high-quality program.”
“As the ‘Voice of St. Louis,’ we are proud to help welcome such a distinguished array of intellectual and inspirational voices,” says Karen Carroll, vice president and general manager of KMOX-AM radio.
All lectures will be held at Powell Symphony Hall. Tickets to the Speakers Series are sold as a subscription package to all seven lectures. Tickets are not available to individual lectures. Subscription prices are $210 for open seating and $305 for reserved seating.
Maryville presents the 1999-2000 St. Louis Speakers Series in cooperation with the Regional Commerce and Growth Association, KMOX-AM Radio 1120 and Illinova.
RCGA members are entitled to a 25 percent discount off the subscription price. For more information, call Colin Stahlhut, 314/444-1145.
